Front wheel mounting for automobiles



March 15, 1938. c, {DICKEY 2,111,111

FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Feb. 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet1 F I 1 1 ml 1 1 I v Q I I I I l I 1 1 I I 6 Attorneys C. DICKEY NTINGFOR AUTOMOBILES FRONT WHEEL MOU Filed Feb. 15, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2March 15, 1938. c. DICKEY FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING FOR AUTOMOBILES FiledFeb. 15, 956

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 2,111,111

bl OFFER FRONT WHEEL MOUNTING FOR AUTOM- BILES Clyde Dickey, MountVernon, Ill.

Application February 15, 1936, Serial No. 64,122

3 Glairns. (Cl. 280-124) The present invention relates to new andusehorizontal plane on their outer ends spindles l ful improvements infront wheel mountings for on which the front wheels 8 are journaled.Refautomobiles and has for its primary object to erence numeral 9designates the usual brakes on provide, in a manner as hereinafter setforth, a the front wheels 8. The axles 6 terminate in novel constructionand arrangement for persquare inner end portions 10.

mitting independent movement of the front The reference numeral Hdesignates levers wheels as the vehicle travels over highways and whichare pivotally mounted at an intermediate streets. point, as at l2, onthe side members 3 rearwardly Another important object of the inventionis to from the forward ends of said side members.

10 provide independent wheel mountings for auto- The rear ends of thearms I are operatively 10 mobiles, including a pair of axles,independently connected. to one end of the levers it by links it movablevertically, together with means for auwhich extend slidably through theframe memtomatically maintaining said axles in axially parbers 3 andwhich travel in guides M on said allel relation at all times. members 3.Asbest seen in Figures 2 and 4 of Other objects of the invention are toprovide the drawings, substantially cup-shaped bearings 15 a front wheelmounting for automobiles of the 85 are fixed on the lower flanges of thesubstanaforementioned character which will be com tially channel-shapedside members 3 of the paratively simple in construction, strong,durable, frame beneath openings l6 which are formed in highly efficientand reliable in use, compact, light the upper flanges of said sidemembers. The

in weight, and which may be manufactured at a bearings 15 are for thereception of shock ab- 20 low cost. sorbing coil springs ll which theopenings it ac- All of the foregoing and still further objects commodateand which have their upper ends enand advantages of the invention willbecome apgaged in p Which are p t y mounted parent from a study of thefollowing specificaon the rear end portions of the levers II, as attion, taken in connection with the accompanyl9. Blocks 25 are fixed onthe arms I rearward- 25 ing drawings wherein like characters ofreference ly of the axles 6 for engagement with bumper designatecorresponding parts throughout the springs 2! which are mounted beneaththe side several views, and wherein: members 3.

Figure l is a top plan View of the invention Fixed on the axles 6, as bywelding, adjacent with parts on one side omitted. the inner ends of thebearings 5 are collars 22 30 Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional to which struts 23 are connected by ball and View, takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figsocket joints 24. At their forwardends the struts ure 1. 23 are connected by ball and socket joints 25 toFigure 3 is a view in vertical transverse section, the forward endportions of the frame members 30 taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1. 3. This is illustrated to advantage in Figures 1 Figure 4 is aview in vertical transverse section, and 2 of the drawings.

taken substantially on the line ll of Figure 2. The inner ends of theaxles S are connected by Figure 5 is a detail view in side elevation ofthe a parallel link motion device which is designated collar which isfixed on each axle. generally by the reference numeral 26. The

Figure 6 is a detail view in side elevation, showparallel motion device26 comprises pins 21 which ing a hydraulic shock absorber incorporatedin are journaled vertically in the inner end portions the invention. ofthe axles 6. Pivotally connected, as at 28, to

Figure 7 is a view in vertical transverse secthe upper and lower ends ofthe pins 2'! are tion through a modified form of the invention. parallellinks 29.

49 Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will The describedsliding mounting of the axles 6 be seen that the reference numeral ldesignates permits the links 29 to maintain the same in a pair of armswhich are pivotally connected at axially parallel relation duringindependent vertheir forward ends, as at 2, to the front ends of ticalmovement thereof and for interconnection the substantiallychannel-shaped side members of the wheels 3, by said links 29, forsteering 50 3 of the automobile frame. The arms I extend movement aboutparallel vertical axes, i. e., the 50 rearwardly beneath the frame sidemembers 3 axes of the spindles i. The reference numeral and secured onsaid arms, at an intermediate 30 designates a pair of steering leverswhich are point, by U-bolts 4 are bearings 5. Rotatably pivotallymounted intermediate their ends on the and slidably mounted in thebearings 5 are axles upper ends of the pins 21 for horizontal swing- 6 hvin mounted f winging movement a ng movement on the axle ends 10. Saidlevers 55 extend forwardly and rearwardly of said ends. The rear ends ofthe levers 35 are connected together to swing in unison, by a rod 32 andball and socket joints designated at 33. The front ends of the levers353 are pivotally connected by motion transmitting rods 3! to the usualstationary back plates of the front wheel brake drums so that wheneither wheel is swung, by means not shown, about the axis of its spindleI, for steering purposes, similar motion will be imparted to the otherwheel 8 by the described levers 33 and rods 3! and 32. As will be clear,the steering levers 3t, and the rods iii and 32 together with thedescribed interconnecting means for the wheels 8 maintain the latter inparallel planes in any relative position of the axles 6.

In operation, the coil springs l1, through the levers I! and the linksl3, yieldingly support the weight of the vehicle on the verticallyswinging arms I. As the wheels 8 travel over irregu larities or bumps inthe street or highway the axles 6 are permitted to move vertically withthe arms I but said axles are maintained in the previously describedparallel relation by the parallel device 26. Also, as the axles 6 moveup and down the torque action thereof is neutralized at all times by thestruts 23. Sufficient play is allowed in the guides M of the links l3 tocompensate for the slight arcs which will be described by the pivotedarms I and the levers II. It will thus be seen that the front wheels 8of the vehicle will be permitted to move vertically independently ofeach other. The elements 3!], 3| and 32 connect the front wheels 8 forhorizontal swinging movement in unison. In Figure 6 of the drawings,hydraulic shock absorbers 34 are substituted for the springs I1.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that the collars 22 and thestructure 23 are arranged outwardly of the arms l and the side members 3of the automobile. In this modification, brackets 35 are extended fromthe bearings 5 and encircle the axles G outwardly of the collars 29.Then, coiled springs 35 are provided on the axles 6 between the brackets35 and the collars 22. The springs 36 yieldingly urge the axles inwardlyin the bearings 5 in a manner to substantially eliminate, or materiallyreduce, rattling by the elements 21 to 33 inclusive, and by compensatingfor, or taking up, wear between these parts.

It is believed that the many advantages of an independent front wheelmounting for automobiles constructed in accordance with the presentinvention will be readily understood, and although preferred embodimentsare illustrated and described, it is to be understood that furthermodifications and changes in details of construction may be resorted towhich will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An independent front wheel mounting for automobiles comprising a pairof arms pivotally connected, at one end, to the forward ends of theautomobile frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, meansyieldingly connecting the free ends of said arms to an intermediateportion of said frame, axles rotatably mounted on the arms, front wheelsmounted on the axles for swinging movement, a parallel link motiondevice interconnecting the axles for maintaining said axles in parallelrelation, struts connected to the axles for neutralizing torque actionthereof, and means connecting the wheels together for swinging movementin unison.

2. An independent front wheel mounting for automobiles comprising a pairof arms pivotally connected, at one end, to the forward ends of theautomobile frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, meansyieldingly connecting the free ends'of said arms to an intermediateportionv of said frame, axles rotatably mounted on the arms, frontwheels mounted on the axles for swinging movement, a parallel linkmotion device inter-connecting the axles for maintaining said axles inparallel relation, struts connected to the axles for neutralizing torqueaction thereof, and means connecting the wheels together for swingingmovement in unison, the last named means including levers pivotallymounted, at an intermediate point, on the axles, rods connecting thelevers to the wheels for actuation thereby, and a rod connecting thelevers together for swinging movement in unison.

3. An independent front wheel mounting for automobiles comprising a pairof arms pivotally connected, at one end, to the forward end of the frameof the automobile and extending rearwardly therebeneath, spaced axlesjournaled on said arms, wheels mounted for swinging movement in ahorizontal plane on the outer ends of the axles, means yieldinglyconnecting the free ends of the arms to the automobile frame, pinsmounted vertically in the inner end portions of the axles, parallellinks pivotally connected to the upper and lower ends of said pins,levers journaled, at an intermediate point, for swinging movement aboutthe pins, a rod connecting one end of the levers, and rods connectingthe other ends of said levers to the wheels respectively.

CLYDE DICKEY.

